A Digital Still Camera Able to Shoot Video That’s Ready for YouTube

By J. D. BIERSDORFER

Published: February 7, 2008

YouTube is turning up everywhere — even on digital still cameras. Casio’s new 8.1-megapixel Exilim Zoom EX-Z80, like a few other recent cameras, features a YouTube capture mode that shoots movie clips in the site’s recommended format and resolution, and comes with software to upload the videos easily to the Web.

The camera, which sells for about $200, records video in the H.264 standard, which also makes the mini-movies compatible for iPod viewing. As a still camera, the EX-Z80 has a 3X optical zoom and a face-detection feature to help improve the focus and exposure of people in a photo. There is also a self-portrait mode that automatically snaps the picture when your face is fully within the frame.

The Exilim EX-Z80 (exilim.casio.com) comes in six colors — green, blue, black, silver and two shades of pink — and has a 2.6-inch L.C.D. screen. The camera incorporates image-stabilization technology and comes with a motion-detecting Auto Shutter feature that snaps the picture as soon as the subject settles down and holds still.

J. D. BIERSDORFER

The World Of Modern Photography

After the invention of the camera and the growth in popularity of photography, it is only natural that mass production as well as dissemination of photo prints will follow. Because of photography, personal as well as public history, time, and the perception of man himself has notably changed. The idea of privacy became altered as more and more well known public figures and that of the common man were recorded. Photographs became the unchallenged proof of any experience, event, and even a state of being.

Photography as an art
Certifying photography as an art form was a hard thing to undertake during its early stages. It was challenged by artists as well as critics and focused on both the chemical and mechanical facets of photography. They considered photography as a craft and nothing more.

Taking away the restrictions
When musuems and art schools finally opened up themselves to photography, the resulting trend was carried up to the present. Photographers began to set themselves free from the strict impositions made by the norms of the straight aesthetic mode as well as the documentary modes as forms of expressing their individuality. By the 1960's photography became a major force in visual arts. This art form has been combined with other types of expression including computer imaging as well as mixed media.

Practical applications of photography
Photography has many practical applications. It has evolved to become a vital tool used in diverse fields like education, medicine, military activities, and commerce. Science has greatly benefited from photography, including aerial mapping of areas, geology, surveying, archeology, meterology, and anthropology just to name a few.

The digital age
With the onset of the 21st century, images can be manipulated and altered in so many ways with the help of digital imaging and computer utilizing techniques. Digital photography started a change in photographic techniques and its nature. The conventional method of photography involved the passing of light into a lens then to an emulsifying agent or digital photography, where color filters as well as sensors are used to create an image. There are two kinds of techniques used in digital photography. The first one involves the use of 3 layers of filters. Each one only allows one color like green, another red, and the last one, blue.

These are some of the notable things with regards to modern photography. Photography has been present for more than a hundred years and yet more and more innovations are taking place. Looking at it, one can surmise that more things are yet to come in the world of modern photography.

Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera

Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body only) 10.2-megapixel effective recording * APS-C-size CCD image sensor (23.6 x 15.8 mm) * 2-1/2″ LCD screen with brightness adjustment and 170-degree viewing angle * 3D Color Matrix Metering II evaluates your shots for accurate exposure * top-mounted LCD panel with green backlighting displays camera and exposure settings * built-in i-TTL pop-up flash * hot shoe for Nikon Speedlite flash accessories * continuous shooting mode: 3 frames per second up to 23 frames in JPEG (Fine/Large) or 6 frames in RAW (NEF) *
Customer Review: The controls are intimidating at first but it becomes intuitive and the telephone tech support is SUPERB !
First let us say we aren’t professional photographers and this is more than just an amateurs camera.

Rest assured, it comes with a “soccer mom” switch and I use this term with reverence because you can just switch the upper dial to “Auto” and the camera essentially goes on autopilot and does everything possible to deliver a balanced and focused shot.

If you have problems, you can just call tech support at their toll free number and our call at 1:00 AM Eastern Time was answered in less than 4 rings and we got a hold of an extremely competent individual who was more than patient and placed us on hold only so he go pull an actual D80 and the same lens from a supply closet and walk us through it while holding it himself.

In working with him, you could tell he was an owner and a loyalist and tech support like this you typically have to pay for as a separate line item. Whether or not we already paid for it as just part of the retail camera price or if Nikon just differentiates themselves this way….. the support is one of the reasons Nikon stands apart.

Bill Gates doesn’t even get this great tech support when he calls Microsoft himself and gives them his name.
Customer Review: BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCKS !
FANTASTIC !
It does everything the specs call for, without compromise.
Rugged. Reliable. Flexible. Extrermely high performance.
Everything in my Nikon digital system works with it.

The price was attractive. I bought one body to try out.
The next day I ordered a D80 body for each of my staff photographers.

Looking for Digital Camera? Find exactly what you want today.

Article Source : digitalcamerasreview.wordpress.com

Kodak EasyShare Z1275

Very Good Camera
Kodak Easyshare Z1275 is better than others more expensive, has a good performance, y takes hagh quality pictures

EasyShare Z1275 is a great camera
I think this camera is a good buy, worth every penny. It is very versatile as well.

The Kodak Z1275 has the exclusive Color Science Chip. Advanced algorithms and hardware acceleration along with the Color Science Chip perform split-second analysis to identify and adjust multiple factors to determine the correct exposure, capturing natural details, accurate flesh tones and rich colors. User-friendly features let you use 12 Megapixels and high ISO so bad lighting won’t be a problem anymore. The 12 Megapixel sensor allows you to print up to 30×40″ pictures so you can crop and enlarge while maintaining great image quality. Capture MPEG4 QuickTime Videos in HD at 30 fps with sound limited only to the size of your memory card. The Z1275 is part of the Kodak EasyShare System so sharing your pictures is amazingly simple; just press Share. View pictures with brilliance and clarity on the wide-angle, High-Resolution 2.5 (6.4cm) color display White balance - Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Open Shade Scene modes - Portrait, sports, landscape, close-up, night portrait, night landscape, snow, beach, text/document, fireworks, flower, manner/museum, self-portrait, children, backlight, panning, candlelight, sunset and panorama stitch 5 color modes - High, Low, Natural, Black & White and Sepia 1/4 standard tripod mount System Requirements - Windows XP OS or later, Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Macintosh OS X 10.3 or higher, Safari 1.1 or higher, 600 MHz processor or greater, 128MB RAM, 200MB free space, CD-ROM drive, Available USB port, Color monitor, 800600 display and 16-bit minimum Dimensions - 3.5 2.5 1.2 (89.564.531.6 mm) Weight - 5.7 ounces (161 grams). Article Source : digitalcamerasreview.wordpress.com

How A Digital Camera Works

Digital cameras come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Different brands of digital cameras also offer users an array of features designed to make each and every shot fantastic. Despite the numerous features offered by digital cameras, manufacturers still manage to create products that are simple enough for a child to use.

Day by day digital cameras are becoming a well-known fixture in most homes across the globe. In fact, most of the people around the world own one and use it on a regular basis. Digital cameras have also been incorporated into a variety of technical gadgets that have been integrated into the lifestyle of people everywhere.

PDA devices as well as cellular phones are just some of the technological devices that have a digital camera feature. Despite being an add-on feature, the digital camera device installed in these gadgets fair relatively well compared to detached models.

As a matter of fact the memory used for digital cameras, detached models or otherwise, can easily be upgraded using memory cards. The added memory will certainly come in handy because most digital cameras can also be used to take video clips.

There are numerous brands of digital cameras available on the market today. Mainstream electronic brands like Nikon, Kodak, Canon and Olympus are just some of the manufacturers of conventional 35mm cameras who have jumped on the bandwagon to create their own lines of digital cameras. Other famous brands that manufacture digital cameras include Panasonic, Casio and Sony.

Basic Features of Digital Cameras to Consider

Regardless of brand names, digital cameras have the same basic features that any consumer should know and consider before buying one. Even though digital cameras are generally a point and shoot device, certain features can often single out a particular brand or model. A good example of this is the term megapixel, which became known when digital cameras were introduced in the market.

Megapixels, which means millions of pixels, measure the quality and size of a digital camera. Pixels refer to the dots that make up a picture. Therefore a digital camera that has about a 5-megapixel resolution will produce better quality pictures compared to a 3-megapixel digital camera.

Moreover, photos taken with a digital camera that offers greater megapixels can be enlarged safely without sacrificing the quality of the picture. Average digital cameras with less than 3 megapixels often forfeit the clarity of the picture once it is enlarged. Unfortunately, there is a downside to using a digital camera with greater megapixels as they consume more of the camera’s memory.

The zoom function of a digital camera is another feature that most consumers should consider. There are generally two types of zoom features for many of the digital cameras on the market today. The optical zoom feature is common in devices without permanent lenses. The user can simply zoom and focus on the subject to be photographed.

A digital zoom feature is similar to using an editing software program for images. In most cases, a digital camera may offer both types of zoom features. Most digital camera users recommend concentrating on the optical zoom feature to validate the quality of the device.

What to Look for In a Digital Camera

A digital camera generally has an LCD screen. This wide screen replaces the small aperture in conventional cameras through which you look into before taking the shot. The LCD screen allows the photographer to view the picture while taking it to see how it would appear in reality.

Digital cameras have memory stick slots where memory sticks are inserted. Unfortunately, memory is another major consideration that many consumers often overlook. For the most part it is because digital cameras that require larger memory can be quite expensive.

On the whole, many of the digital cameras of today make use of rechargeable batteries. Consumers should check if the particular brand they wish to purchase comes with a charger. If not, then you need to purchase it separately.

Downloading pictures taken with the digital camera is another factor that need to be considered. In most cases, many digital cameras can easily be connected to a desktop computer using a USB port. Through this connection, a user may download the pictures taken with the camera into the computer’s hard drive for printing or editing.

5 camera technologies that will dominate 2008

Megapixels are so over. They've lost their marketing mojo. Now that sensors have stopped growing exponentially in terms of megapixels, new cameras don't even bother advertising their size.

But we're cool with that, since it lets other camera technologies take center stage. At the Photo Marketing Association's annual trade show this week, there were certainly plenty of new cameras and photo gear from the likes of Canon and Nikon, but the it's the technology within them — innovations like wireless and GPS — that's the real star. Click Continue to read how technology is changing how you'll take photos in 2008, from the seasoned pro to the most casual point-and-shooter.

1. Geotagging

Geotagging is the process of adding latitude and longitude coordinates to photos. For most of us, this means a hassle-tastical adventure in clicking and dragging around in Google Earth or Yahoo Maps to manually mark the location where we took our photos. The new trend is towards adding a GPS unit to the camera either at the manufacturing stage or as an option later on. There were a number of solutions on the floor on PMA, and each with its own approach.

The most novel and innovative being ATP's GPS PhotoFinder ($100). As a standalone device, it tracks and logs up to 550 hours of GPS data and then uses its SD slot to automatically add the geotags to the JPEG images on the card. Unfortunately, it does not work with CompactFlash and it can't do anything with RAW images, but for the point-and-shoot set, this thing is crazy simple.

Geotate, a newly formed subsidiary of NXP, provides hardware and software solutions to OEMs. Their new chip, which costs about $3, can add built-in geotagging capability to cameras. They also had a hot-shoe mountable reference design that would enable users who already have DSLRs to add the ability to their cameras. Jobo released a similar version this year, but based on its own hardware.

Geotagging can also be done with an existing GPS device, so long as the time is properly synced between the camera and GPS device and you have the software to extrapolate the data. Merax's PhotoFinder GPS (not to be confused with ATP's GPS PhotoFinder) does basically that. Rather than hooking to the camera or syncing with a card directly, it just gathers data as one cruises around, and then adds the geotags to the images upon import to the computer. As an added bonus, the device can be used as a navigation device with its built-in Bluetooth connection.

---

2. Increased Dynamic Range

One of the big fads in digital imaging right now is tonemapping of HDR images. In essence, this means taking, say, 32 bits of color data and adjusting it to fit within an 8-bit color space, which is what our monitors and papers are capable of reproducing.

It was only a matter of time before camera manufacturers started looking for a way to get the most out of their sensors, which are 12- and 14-bit these days. Raw imaging is one way to preserve all the data, allowing for post-processing on the computer, but doing it on the camera appeals to many people. Nikon introduced D-Lighting as their way of getting more detail into the shadow areas of their photos. Panasonic recently added similar functionality to their point-and-shoots under the moniker of Intelligent ISO. Samsung threw all caution to the wind and just called theirs HDR.

This technology has a long ways to go, but with camera resolutions where they are today, it seems logical that some of that resolution could be thrown at getting different ISO sensitivity readings from a single frame and actually create a full 32-bit file. If HDR turns out not to be a passing fad like Sepia toning, perhaps this will be something to look for in the next few years.

---

3. Face Recognition

This really seemed like a gimmick when it got big last year, but with cameras being able to track up to 15 faces, detect smiles and recognize the photographer when he steps into the frame for a self shot, it takes on a whole other level of creepy usefulness. FotoNation is the primary driving force behind the embedded software that does this.

---

4. HD Video and 16:9 Aspect Ratio
Consumer cameras wind up being used to create content for consumer use. With the HD revolution nearly upon us and the overall move to widescreen everything, it just makes sense to fit the camera format into the mold. The downside comes with printing, but that's probably something that will be dealt with too. Maybe 4 x 7.77-inch photo paper will be the new 4 x 6. The newest point-and-shoot cameras are all outputting 720p video.

---

5. Wi-Fi
Nikon's been doing it right for a while. Samsung is trying to do it right-er by adding the functionality to virtually all of their consumer electronics. Panasonic is in on the game too. For everybody else there's Eye-Fi, a 2GB SD card with a Wi-Fi controller that automatically beams the images from the camera to the computer. Is it a gimmick or is it a necessity? Time will tell.
Article Source : http://dvice.com

How A Digital Camera Works

Digital cameras come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Different brands of digital cameras also offer users an array of features designed to make each and every shot fantastic. Despite the numerous features offered by digital cameras, manufacturers still manage to create products that are simple enough for a child to use.

Day by day digital cameras are becoming a well-known fixture in most homes across the globe. In fact, most of the people around the world own one and use it on a regular basis. Digital cameras have also been incorporated into a variety of technical gadgets that have been integrated into the lifestyle of people everywhere.

PDA devices as well as cellular phones are just some of the technological devices that have a digital camera feature. Despite being an add-on feature, the digital camera device installed in these gadgets fair relatively well compared to detached models.

As a matter of fact the memory used for digital cameras, detached models or otherwise, can easily be upgraded using memory cards. The added memory will certainly come in handy because most digital cameras can also be used to take video clips.

There are numerous brands of digital cameras available on the market today. Mainstream electronic brands like Nikon, Kodak, Canon and Olympus are just some of the manufacturers of conventional 35mm cameras who have jumped on the bandwagon to create their own lines of digital cameras. Other famous brands that manufacture digital cameras include Panasonic, Casio and Sony.

Basic Features of Digital Cameras to Consider

Regardless of brand names, digital cameras have the same basic features that any consumer should know and consider before buying one. Even though digital cameras are generally a point and shoot device, certain features can often single out a particular brand or model. A good example of this is the term megapixel, which became known when digital cameras were introduced in the market.

Megapixels, which means millions of pixels, measure the quality and size of a digital camera. Pixels refer to the dots that make up a picture. Therefore a digital camera that has about a 5-megapixel resolution will produce better quality pictures compared to a 3-megapixel digital camera.

Moreover, photos taken with a digital camera that offers greater megapixels can be enlarged safely without sacrificing the quality of the picture. Average digital cameras with less than 3 megapixels often forfeit the clarity of the picture once it is enlarged. Unfortunately, there is a downside to using a digital camera with greater megapixels as they consume more of the camera’s memory.

The zoom function of a digital camera is another feature that most consumers should consider. There are generally two types of zoom features for many of the digital cameras on the market today. The optical zoom feature is common in devices without permanent lenses. The user can simply zoom and focus on the subject to be photographed.

A digital zoom feature is similar to using an editing software program for images. In most cases, a digital camera may offer both types of zoom features. Most digital camera users recommend concentrating on the optical zoom feature to validate the quality of the device.

What to Look for In a Digital Camera

A digital camera generally has an LCD screen. This wide screen replaces the small aperture in conventional cameras through which you look into before taking the shot. The LCD screen allows the photographer to view the picture while taking it to see how it would appear in reality.

Digital cameras have memory stick slots where memory sticks are inserted. Unfortunately, memory is another major consideration that many consumers often overlook. For the most part it is because digital cameras that require larger memory can be quite expensive.

On the whole, many of the digital cameras of today make use of rechargeable batteries. Consumers should check if the particular brand they wish to purchase comes with a charger. If not, then you need to purchase it separately.

Downloading pictures taken with the digital camera is another factor that need to be considered. In most cases, many digital cameras can easily be connected to a desktop computer using a USB port. Through this connection, a user may download the pictures taken with the camera into the computer’s hard drive for printing or editing.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4 - 5.6

London, 13 May 2008 – In yet another expansion to the rapidly growing E-System lens line-up, Olympus unveils the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* extreme wide angle lens. This affordable complement to the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3 (36-360mm)* enables stunningly original perspectives with an extra-wide field of view. And at just 280g, it weighs in at significantly less than those of the competition. The Four Thirds-based ZUIKO DIGITAL
ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* extreme wide angle lens will go on sale from September 2008 in Olympus’ ‘standard’ range of lenses.

Focus on more with the larger depth of field afforded by the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* lens. This super-compact and light-weight addition to the E-System family is ideal for anything from sweeping desert landscapes to broad shots: emphasise the green of a cactus against burnt red cliffs, or capture the breadth of a farmer’s market in a single shot. Meanwhile, a remarkably compact design – featuring a diameter of 79.5mm, a length of 73mm and a weight of only 280g – ensures utmost mobility.

Enjoy the impeccable optical quality inherent in all ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses with this bright model: 13 lens elements in nine groups, including one aspherical ED lens and two aspherical elements award the ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* with a pronounced advantage over the competition. Coupled with the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 18-180mm 1:3.5-6.3 (36-360mm)* lens, this affordable combination provides you with an incredible 9-180mm range (18-360mm)* for unparalleled versatility. A minimum focusing distance of 25cm round out this 2x-zoom model’s list of convenient attributes.

The ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 (18-36mm)* lens will be available from September 2008.

* Figure in brackets represents 35mm camera equivalent.

Learn Digital Photography - Quality Insider Digital Photography Info

Wedding photography is also concerned with the portrait photography for a bride. Most brides will have an individual portrait of them in their bridal dress taken to be displayed at the wedding and later at the bride’s home. If an entire package is bought, from engagement photos to reception photos, a bridal portrait is included. For many families of the bride, this portrait alone is one that they have dreamed of ever since the woman was a little girl.

To capture this vision is very important and needs to be handled with great care and concern. The wedding photography business is a hot and lucrative occupation to be in. If attention to detail is given, a photographer can become well known and make a very good income by capturing intimate moments of a new relationship just beginning. Even though a photographer is behind the lens, the action they see will be caught for lifetimes to enjoy.

Which is better, the photography studio or location photography? This depends on what is types of pictures are desired. A studio may have more equipment such as lights that can enhance the pictures better. The location will more than likely not be able to accommodate all the equipment a photographer wants, but the area may be all that is needed for the perfect picture. The client and the photographer will have to make that choice together.

Depending on what is needed, the choice can seem overwhelming. One photography site that can help determine just what is right is Shortcourses. This site helps the consumer decide from the four major types of cameras as to which one fits their lifestyle. Digital photography is a great way to capture the images of an individual that will be seen for generations to come. By using digital photography instead of regular film, those memories will be perfect the first time. The choices of cameras are endless, and with the help of the internet, a person can make sure and choose the right camera that best fits their lifestyle and price range.

When you are selecting a digital camera for your use you might want to know more aobut items like the lens and the battery. A glass lens is preferable to a plastic lens. Do not skimp on the lens. It is best to choose an optical zoom lens over digital zoom. Many lower cost cameras do not have optical zoom lenses. Optical zoom is essential for better quality pictures. Optical zoom actually moves the lens to capture the image, while digital zoom captures fewer pixels and magnifies the captured image. Pictures taken with digital zoom are often blurry and look digitized. If you treasure your battery life, you can turn off LCD display on your digital camera.

One of the most power-consumed parts in a camera is LCD display. In order to obtain clear display, LCD background illumination consumes power heavily (You can turn off the LCD display to save the power). For general Alkaline Battery or Ni-CD/Ni-MH battery, the power can last for around an hour (with LCD on) whereas for camera Lithium battery, it can last longer. In addition to LCD display, CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) also consumed lot of power. For those models that use LCD display as view finders, in order to drive CCD continuously, the power loading is heavy. Sometimes, the power of four dry batteries can only last for less than 30 minutes. Therefore, take a check of whether rechargeable batteries or charger are included in your camera package or whether other relevant charging information is mentioned

When you are selecting a present for your child, they might want a digital camera. You should go for small but not horribaly out of focus. The details on the camera should be able to pick up basic things. Even if your kid is aspiring to be a proffesionall photographer you should worry about the price. While buying a digital camera for your child, it is understandable that you really do not want to spend a lot of money. There are lots of choices available in the market today. The price range starts from as low as $30 and can go up to $300. So, it really depends on how much you would like to spend on the camera. Start simple and upgrade if they grow out of the digital camera that you buy for them. Hey share them with the whole family!

There are times, however, when you will want to take control of your camera’s settings to get an even better picture. Here are some tips to help you consistently: Minimize camera movements - If you know you’ll be in a situation where you’ll have to shoot under low light conditions with a slow shutter speed, use a tripod. You can also use a tripod on a sunny day to minimize camera moment to allow you to shoot with a small aperture and a slower shutter speed for greater depth of field. Most professional nature and landscape photos you see were done with a tripod. Follow your object - If you’re shooting a moving object, try planting your feet solidly and bracing your arms tightly against your sides, and follow the moving object by turning your body. This can keep your subject in focus, although your background will be blurred.

For photographing fireworks in the sky or at any reasonable distance, switch it off! All flash will do is illuminate any smoke or dust in front of the camera and spoil the picture. But if you are photographing people close by with, for example, sparklers or torches, you can get some exciting effects by combining flash illumination and a slow shutter speed (above). The flash illuminates people and freezes the scene but the long (slow sync) shutter speed lets bright moving objects, like sparklers, leave long trails. Look for settings like slow-sync flash or use a slow manual shutter speed - say, between 1/4 and a whole second, with the flash on. And finally, Take as many shots as you can. Fireworks don’t demand highest resolution camera settings so you can use a lower resolution setting to get more shots out of your memory card.

Author: Dan Feildman, Article Source : www.articlephotography.com

PANASONIC’S COMPACT WI-FI LUMIX DIGITAL CAMERA UPLOADS PHOTOS TO GOOGLE’S PICASA WEB ALBUMS VIA T-MOBILE HOTSPOT SERVICE

New Wi-Fi LUMIX TZ50 Digital Camera in Japan and US markets only features HD Video, 28mm Wide-Angle Lens, 10x Optical Zoom Ideal for Active Users to Share Photos On-the-Go

Panasonic today introduced a new addition to its award-winning TZ-family of digital cameras, the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ50. Complete with Wi-Fi capabilities, standard 802.11b/g wireless LAN connectivity and access to T-Mobile® HotSpot service, users can upload digital photos taken with the TZ50 directly to Picasa Web Albums, a free online photo-sharing service from Google. The 9.1 megapixel TZ50 is packed with a 28mm wide-angle lens, 10x optical zoom and the ability to record HD video, making it the ideal digital camera for active users.

“This advanced digital camera makes it possible for users to share their photos with friends and family with unprecedented ease and without a computer,” said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “Active users will appreciate the TZ50’s Wi-Fi capabilitilies so they can share photos whilst on-the-go, but they will also benefit from HD video recording, a 10x optical zoom and a 28mm wide-angle lens, so capturing images, whether far or wide; moving or still – is all possible with this compact camera.”

Panasonic uses the T-Mobile Hotspot service and Picasa Web Albums’ APIs to create a new optimal online environment and community for sharing digital photos. After taking photos with the new Panasonic LUMIX TZ50, users will be able to wirelessly send one or even multiple photos at a time, directly to Google’s Picasa Web Albums. Users can connect to standard wireless home networks. In addition the TZ50 can also connect to the T-Mobile HotSpot Service, which provides fast and reliable Wi-Fi Internet access at more than 8,800 public locations throughout the United States, including Borders® Books & Music stores, Hyatt Hotels and many major airports. The LUMIX TZ50 comes with an offer of 12-months complimentary T-Mobile HotSpot W-FI service**.

Users can simply register one email account with their TZ50, so after uploading their photos to Picasa Web Albums, they can have the URL to that album sent to the registered account. Since many cell phones and smartphones receive emails, users can register their own email address and then forward that Picasa Web Album’s URL to friends and family, without using a computer. In addition, users can browse their albums to confirm that photos have been successfully uploaded, and choose to delete uploaded photos directly on the digital camera.

The TZ50 is the latest member of the LUMIX TZ-Series, renowned for packaging a 28mm wide-angle 10x optical zoom Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28-280mm on a 35mm film camera) into a compact body. The 28mm wide-angle lens captures subjects and scenes wider at the same standpoint than a normal 35mm camera. Notably, the new TZ50 integrates the capability of recording 720p HD (high-definition) motion pictures together with its direct output function allowing users to enjoy watching both still and motion pictures in impressive HD quality on a HDTV via an optional component cable, or by inserting the SD Memory Card into the SD slot, which is available on all Panasonic VIERA HDTVs.

The Panasonic LUMIX TZ50 also incorporates Panasonic’s advanced Intelligent Auto (iA) mode consisting of seven intuitive technologies, all which are specifically designed to help make photo-taking enjoyable and easy. When in Advanced Intelligent Auto mode, the following technologies all operate automatically; the user does not need to change any settings:

• Intelligent Exposure – Photos will no longer be under- or over-exposed. Instead, the TZ50 instantly analyses the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting, or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.
• Digital Red-eye Correction– Helps eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at night. Incorporated into the built-in flash, the camera emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash which detects red-eye and digitally corrects it.
• MEGA O.I.S. – Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent blurry images.
• Intelligent ISO – Determines if the photo subject is moving and changes the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly.
• Intelligent Scene Selector – Senses the ambient conditions, recognises the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode. This intuitive technology helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.
• Face Detection – Detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so that portraits come out clear and crisp. Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic’s Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.
• Continuous AF – The Continuous AF (auto focus) system maintains focus on the subject even without pressing a shutter button halfway, thus minimizing the AF time.

Once the user is in iA mode, these multi-capable functions happen automatically, no adjustments or changes to setting need to be made. Furthermore, the DMC-TZ50 boasts Intelligent LCD function, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, to offer a display with excellent clarity in any situation with the newly developed 460,000-dot high resolution in 3.0-inch LCD screen.

The TZ50 incorporates the Venus Engine IV, Panasonic’s new high-performance image processing LSI. The Venus Engine IV produces higher-quality pictures than its predecessor, the Venus Engine III, by using a more advanced signal processing system. The new Venus Engine IV also improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects in both MEGA O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO and reduces the shutter release time lag.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ50 will be available in silver in May 2008 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $449.95.

* *35mm film camera equivalent: 28-280mm
** One year of complimentary, camera-specific T-Mobile HotSpot service begins from the first time you automatically connect your LUMIX digital camera to the T-Mobile network at a T-Mobile HotSpot location within the U.S, subject to certain limitations, terms and conditions. The complimentary T-Mobile HotSpot service does not include access to the Internet at other Wi-Fi roaming locations. This offer expires on August 31, 2009.

A Guide To Digital Cameras For Beginners

Key Considerations

Unlike traditional, film cameras, digital cameras employ a light sensitive sensor, known as a CCD (“Charge Coupled Device”), or CMOS (“Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor”), to convert incident light into an image in electronic, or digital, form. The “resolution” and physical size of this sensor are important factors in determining the quality of photographs taken with a digital camera.

Resolution is often quoted as the total number of “pixels” (“picture elements”), or “mega pixels”, of which the sensor, and, therefore, the final photograph, is composed. The more pixels an image contains the higher the level of detail that you can expect in that image, so, all other things being equal, the higher the resolution of a digital camera, the better. As a rule of thumb, a basic, entry level digital camera, with a resolution of 1.0, or 2.0 mega pixels (MP), is likely to be adequate for standard, 6 inch x 4 inch prints, or the equivalent, but for larger, 10 inch x 8 inch prints, a resolution of at least 3.0 MP is likely to prove more satisfactory. Advanced digital cameras, amongst them SLR, or “Single Lens Reflex”, models are, of course, available with resolutions of, perhaps, 10 MP, or more. The Mustek DV5200 Digital Camera, for example, features a maximum resolution of 5.4 MP.

Almost all digital cameras have some form of zoom capability, and this is often quoted as the level of magnification provided, so you will come across figures such as “3x”, or “4x”, for both “digital”, and “optical” zoom. It is important, however, to differentiate between these two types of zoom. Optical zoom involves, the physical, or mechanical, movement of the camera lens to produce a close up image, and produces highly satisfactory results. Digital zoom, on the other hand, is controlled by software alone, effectively “cropping” a portion of an image, and enlarging that portion to the size of the viewfinder. This can result in grainy, unsatisfactory photographs at all but the lowest levels of magnification, and claims of huge digital zoom capability should be treated with caution.

Many digital cameras can operate on standard, disposable AA, or AAA, batteries, or rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries are more expensive, in the first instance, but may actually prove to be more economical in the long run; digital cameras do tend to be quite “battery hungry”, and the cost of constantly replacing disposable batteries may soon become prohibitive. The Mustek DV510V Digital Camera, for example, operates on two, 1.5V AA batteries.

Conclusion

Before you start shopping for a digital camera, try to make an assessment of how you intend to use one, now, and in the future. You may, for example, be looking for a digital camera that is easy to use, without constant reference to its user manual, in the first instance; if you also require larger, better quality photographs, at some point in the future, investment in a higher specification digital camera, with a higher resolution, will allow you some room for expansion.

Josh Taylor is a freelance writer specialising in consumer electronics, financial and business subjects.

Author:Josh Taylor
e-tailers such as 3 Wisemonkeys now offer a guide to buying digital cameras & camcorders. As well as producing quick guides such as the one above, 3 Wise Monkeys will respond to individual queries and offers detailed buying advice over the phone with no pressure to purchase.
Tags: ccd, cmos, Digital Cameras, photograph, pixel

Selecting The Correct Camera

There are actually two types of cameras that you can choose. It all depends on how new you want to be or how traditional you want to remain. Currently, the choices range from purchasing a manual camera or of the slew of hi-tech digital cameras.

To make it easier for you, the following are tips to help you choose the best digital camera as well as the perfect manual camera for you.

If you want to buy a manual camera, first determine if you would like for photography to be a hobby that is serious or simply a past time.

If you're really serious, it is best that you choose a camera that is an SLR or specifically a single lens reflex camera. The difference between a SLR camera and an average point & shoot one is that the former allows the photographer to adjust the aperture as well as the camera’s shutter speed. Though the pictures may be a bit difficult to take, it is more fulfilling to do so – if you have the patience for it - it allows you the opportunity to create the pictures you want. A point and shoot camera meanwhile simply just takes pictures as is and that may be what you want.

Get the opinion of an experienced photographer & photo magazine reviews

It is best that you research and read popular magazines on photography and see how they evaluate particular SLR cameras. It is highly advisable that you make yourself familiar with the current cameras being offered.

Reading up could also give you an idea of your needs. It will also help you decide if you want a camera that has a lens for doing close-up shots or do you want a camera with a flash system. What depth of field would you prefer?

Know how much you are willing to spend

The prices of cameras, particularly the SLR ones vary. The low end cameras offer automatic aperture settings and are basically manually operated. However, the camera models that are on the higher end also include features found on the low end cameras plus more. These types of cameras are also programmable, have an ability to measure flash through the camera’s lens and provide more aperture and shutter speed read outs.

Know how to choose when you are finally ready to choose

If you are already in the store and ready to pick a camera to purchase, it is best that you actually hold the camera and look through the camera’s view finder. Check how the camera focuses. Is it bright? Are you comfortable operating its controls? Is your wallet comfortable with its price?

It is best that the manual camera you choose fits not just your needs but your budget as well.

However, if you are intent on purchasing a digital camera and actually find nothing impressive about the manual camera, the following are basic tips to make your selection and purchase the best one.

As with purchasing a manual camera, set how much you are willing to spend when buying a digital camera. Know your monetary limits and work from there. Be open minded as well as realistic. A inexpensive digital camera may not necessarily be a low end kind and an expensive digital camera may not necessarily be a high end kind. Believe it or not, there are refurbished digital SLR cameras that are cheaper than the newer ones being offered, yet have more features not available on newer expensive types. There are many of these kind on ebay.


Determine how Experienced You Are

Be honest with yourself. How experienced or inexperienced are you? If you are a novice, then a point & shoot digital camera may be best for you, but if you are seriously intent on learning more, it would be best to choose a camera that offers more features, exposure, and control.

Check reviews

Just as with manual cameras, try your best to read on reviews of digital cameras. There are several sites on the web. These sites are both for serious and professional photographers as well as those that are just starting out.

All in all, choosing a camera is easy if you know what you are looking for. Start with yourself, your wants and your needs and everything else will fall into place.

Younes Bounhar of Ottawa, Ontario Canada is the First Photograph of the Month Winner of 2008 at www.PhotographyCorner.com.

PhotographyCorner.com Announces the January 2008 Photograph of the Month
Barrie, Ontario, Canada, January 06, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Photography Corner ( www.PhotographyCorner.com ) has announced that Younes Bounhar is the winner of the January 2008 Photograph of the Month contest. The winning photo was chosen by site members from a total of eleven nominated photographs with almost 22% of the votes.
Younes won the latest photograph of the month contest with a photo titled “Cavell Alpenglow.” The winning photo depicted a shot from the Athabasca river just outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada. This was the second Photograph of the Month award received by Younes Bounhar. For winning the PhotographyCorner.com January 2008 Photograph of the Month, Younes was awarded a PhotographyCorner Prize Pack, and a copy of VueScan Professional courtesy of Hamrick Software. In addition, the top three vote-getters in the contest also were awarded copies of VueScan Professional.
“Younes is a fantastic photographer from Canada’s capital city, Ottawa,” commented PhotographyCorner’s owner, Tim L. Walker, “who specializes in nature and landscape photography using a wide-angle 10-20mm lens. Shooting with a wide-angle lens like a 10-20mm is difficult for most to master, but Younes has done just that. Every one of his nature landscapes he shoots with the 10-20mm is gallery-worthy.”
Photograph of the Month contests at www.PhotographyCorner.com are held in the community’s forum, where site members are able to post their photos for consideration. Each month, photographs are nominated by community leaders and are voted on by the Photography Corner community. PhotographyCorner.com began holding Photograph of the Month contests in April 2004.

About www.PhotographyCorner.com
PhotographyCorner.com is a leading portal for photographers, which includes member-written articles, tutorials, forums, a photography directory and projects. The site runs a monthly Photograph of the Month contests and eighteen yearly Contest Corner Challenges, as well as providing an area of the site for photographers to receive constructive criticism of their work in the Critiques Corner. As a further resource to photographers, PhotographyCorner.com provides photography news, camera reviews, and information on photography contests and events throughout the world. PhotographyCorner.com was launched in March 2004.

About Hamrick Software
Hamrick Software was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 1991 by Ed Hamrick. Its first product was VuePrint, an easy to use JPEG viewer for Windows that for many years was the recommended image viewer for AOL, with more than 100,000 users. In 1998, the company first released VueScan, a program for scanning with flatbed and film scanners with more than 160,000 users all over the world. VueScan supports over 750 flatbed and film scanners and 142 digital camera raw file types, and is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. It automatically adjusts images to optimum color balance, which reduces the need to manually do this in Photoshop. VueScan includes built-in color calibration of scanners, producing colors that look true to life. Supporting more than 100 brands of negative film, VueScan offers options for scanning faded slides and prints, batch scanning, IT8 color calibration and other advanced scanning features.

For more information, please visit www.PhotographyCorner.com. Tim L. Walker can be reached at 705.321.9542 or via email at twalker@photographycorner.com to answer any questions.

Olympus' Compact Digital Camera Features 20x Optical Zoom

Feb 15, 2008 20:55
Yousuke Ogasawara, Nikkei Electronics


Olympus Imaging's "CAMEDIA SP-570UZ" compact digital camera features 20x optical zoom and a 10-Mpixel CCD.

Olympus Imaging Corp has announced the "CAMEDIA SP-570UZ," a lens-integrated digital camera featuring a 20X optical zoom and a 10-Mpixel CCD.

Its focal length is 26 to 520mm on a 35mm camera basis. The camera can shoot images up to 3648 x 2736 pixel resolution. Also, it has the capability to record up to 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution video at 30fps. Still images are recorded in DCF compatible JPEG or RAW format.

The new digital camera features three different sequential shooting modes. In "normal mode," the camera supports sequential shooting of about 7 shots at 1.2fps.

"High-speed mode 1," which uses a mechanical shutter, can be only used when the resolution is 2560 x 1920 or lower and allows sequential shooting of approximately 30 shots at 7.2fps. The electronic shutter-based "high-speed mode 2" allows sequential shooting of around 30 shots at roughly 13.5fps when the resolution is 2048 x 1536.

The 18x zoom, 8-Mpixel SP-560UZ, which Olympus released in the fall of 2007, was claimed as is capable of sequential shooting of up to 40 shots at 15fps, but these figures were only achieved with 1280 x 960 resolution and "SQ2" image quality, in which compression rate is slightly high.

Its image sensor is a 1/2.33-inch CCD. A CCD-shift stabilization system is also equipped. In addition to auto mode, sensitivity can be fixed at ISO 64/100/200/400/800/1600 with every image size, or ISO 3200/6400 with 2560 x 1920 or lower resolution.

The zoom ratio can be adjusted with the zoom ring on the lens tube. The F value of the lens extends from 2.8 to 4.5. In addition, 5x and 3x digital zoom is available when shooting still images and video, respectively. "Super macro mode" enables close-up shots of a subject as close as 1cm at minimum.

Both auto focusing and manual focusing are available. As for exposure, full-auto, aperture preferred and shutter preferred modes as well as manual mode can be chosen.

The SP-570UZ is equipped with an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with about 230000-pixel resolution and a 2.7-inch LCD panel with the same resolution. A flash unit is housed, but external flash devices can also be connected to its hot shoe.

It uses the xD-Picture Card to record images. No memory card is included in the package. Supported capacity is 16M to 2 Gbytes. The main unit houses about 45-Mbyte built-in memory.

The camera uses four AA alkaline batteries or four AA NiMH (nickel metal hydride) secondary batteries. Battery life allows about 390 shots on average on a CIPA test standards basis. Excluding projections, the camera measures 118.5 x 87.5 x 84mm and weighs 445g excluding batteries and a memory card.

Its market debut is slated for March 6, 2008. There is no MSRP, but Olympus expects street pricing to be around ¥60,000 (US$554). Positioning the SP-570UZ as the high-end model of the SP series, the company will continue to sell its predecessor, the SP-560UZ.